About Osceola Reads

Osceola Reads is a five-year reading initiative aimed at increasing the literacy rate throughout Osceola County, Florida. Currently, only 13% of Osceola Kindergarteners are prepared for their first day of school. Teachers are spending their time catching students up rather than teaching them to read. We aim to change that with Footsteps2Brilliance.

Footsteps2Brilliance is a mobile technology platform that uses the latest in cognitive research to aid early learning development. The interactive app digitally links home and the school, allowing children to have a curriculum-based Pre-K education anywhere.

Every child in Osceola County, both those registered and not yet attending school, have access to Footsteps2Brilliance – for FREE! The best part is, since it’s a mobile reading app, it can be used virtually anywhere. All parents need to do to get started is register.

Why we need this program…

In Osceola County 70% of children live in low-income households.

Children from low-income families hear 30 million fewer words before the age of three.

Only 13% of students entering kindergarten passed school readiness assessments.

Only 53% percent of third grade students read on grade-level.

So far, less than 6% of eligible families are using the mobile reading app, Footsteps2Brilliance.

What we hope this program will accomplish…

In September 2016, 30% of students will pass school readiness assessments.

By February 2017, 25% of eligible families will be using this reading app, Footsteps2Brilliance.